Plans to privatize public car parks are moving ahead. Earlier this year, Transport Malta started discussing a change in policy with car park attendants regarding parking facilities all over the island. On Tuesday 11 September at 9.00pm, Mr. Kenneth Demartino of the KDM group, met in a hotel with around 55 parking attendants to take these plans one step further.

Transport Malta was considering issuing tenders for all areas in Malta that are used as open air public parking. Currently, there is technically no charge for parking, but all motorists are expected to give a ‘tip’ to the attendant. There is no specific amount and although there are no established parking fees in these areas, they vary from town to town. Maltastar.com has learnt that tenders will probably be issued sometime in October.

The plans included regularization of facilities through the installation of electronic signs displaying the number of parking spaces available, barriers, lighting, CCTV and ticketing machines. Current parking attendants were to be given the right of first refusal on any tenders for parking facilities in the area in which they currently operate.

Currently, there are several hundreds of families living off car park ‘tips’. Most of the car park attendants are happy with present arrangements and it seems, so are motorists. This reform will, in fact, set up parking fees, possibly based on commercial rates. All such rates are far higher than the average ‘tip’ that motorists give to car park attendants.

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Comments (8)

C. Camilleri

- Mon 17-Sep-2012, 11:59

Is the Parker there to assist you in parking your Car, in the early morning ? NO:
Is the Parker responsible if your Car is damaged by another Car in HIS area ? NO: Is the Parker responsible for collecting any contributions the Drivers are willing to give ? Yes:

Thorny

- Mon 17-Sep-2012, 11:28

Anyone about to speak out for Consumers and comuters?

All this means forking out more € from our wages for a service that WAS FREE,like the Park & Ride facilities!

Who will be taking the Consumers for a ride , a very bumpy ride from within TM with GonziPN and trhe Ministry of Transport's Blessing?

No parkers needed

- Mon 17-Sep-2012, 10:44

There is NO need for parkers. All drivers have passed their driving test and don't need parkers to park. This is an abuse of public property by the parkers who do not issue any receipts and do not pay any tax while being some of the richest persons. See how many cars park for an hour and their place is taken by another car. The there are those parkers who sometimes tell you and sometims they don;t that when the parkign area is full they leave. They are also not responsible for anything that happens to your car. I pay my road license so why should I have to pay the parkers when they are NOT needed. They should go and do a proper job not lazing around collecting money and not paying taxes. Government GERT RID OF ALL PARKERS.

Joseph Howard

- Mon 17-Sep-2012, 09:49

Privatisation of pubic car parks closer please PUBLIC not pubic so correct this word.

Charles J Buttigieg

- Mon 17-Sep-2012, 09:34

All they needed to change was the tipping method and enforce a licence on the parking attendant.
A sign stating the size of the tip per hour would have sufficed.At the time of parking the attendant would give a ticket with the respective time ,on leaving the car park the motorist would tip according to time used.

Joseph Howard

- Mon 17-Sep-2012, 09:32

So if KDM has met 55 car park attendants at a Hotel to take this a step further, why are tenders going to be issued? is this meeting not proof enough that KDM is trying to negotiate with these attendants give way for the group to run the car parks systems? What is MEPA doing about the fact that applicants pay extra for parking facilities and so far has provided negligible space and due to this process the spaces that the public had for quite a long time are going to be privatised? What about the Local Councils do they have any say in this matter? What is going to happen if a council needs to make use of that space for an activity, shall they have to pay compensation for the use of this area? What will be happening during our village feast if this area is not used as in the past & left as a car park? Where will one hold traditional activities? How about a visit to Gnejna bay or golden bay and other bays don't we pay enough already?

HAWKEYE

- Mon 17-Sep-2012, 08:31

NOW THAT IS ONE PROPOSAL I'M FOR 100% JUST BECAUSE THESE SO CALLED PARKING ATTENDANTS WEAR A HAT PASSED ON TO THEM FOR GENERATIONS THEY THINK THEY OWN PUBLIC LAND AND IF ONE DOES NOT TIP THEM HANDSOMELY NEW SCRATCHES SEEM TO APPEAR ON THE PARKED VEHICLES THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AFTER,PLUS THIER ATTITUDE IS SOMETHING ELSE,SHOULD THE PROPOSAL COME TO PASS AND THEY END UP UNEMPLOYED THEY CAT EAT CAKE FOR ALL I CARE